September 15, 2003
Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington
(Phone: 202/358-1726)
Karen Rugg
Women in Aerospace, Alexandria, Va.
(Phone: 703/379-4345)
RELEASE: 03-296
NASA TRIO HONORED WITH PRESTIGIOUS AEROSPACE AWARDS
NASA astronaut Barbara Morgan; Dr. Marla Perez-Davis of NASA's Glenn
Research Center (GRC), Cleveland; and Dr. Andrea Donnellan of NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif., will be honored
Tuesday, September 16, 2003, for their outstanding achievements in
aerospace technology, education and community outreach.
The awards will be officially presented to them and three other women
during the 18th Annual Women in Aerospace (WIA) Award reception in
the Rayburn House Office Building Foyer, Washington, from 6 to 8 p.m.
EDT. WIA is a Washington-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to
promoting the advancement of women in aerospace and related careers,
in addition to recognizing achievements of outstanding women in
aerospace. The trio was chosen by a WIA review committee from
hundreds of nominations in an open solicitation.
"These valuable members of the NASA family are truly inspiring. They
have gone above and beyond the call of duty in highlighting the
advancement of women in aerospace fields. They're a reflection of the
best and brightest at NASA, and I am proud to see them honored in
this way," NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe said.
Morgan will receive the Aerospace Educator Award for her pioneering
work in integrating space research with classroom education. She is
NASA's first Educator Astronaut and assigned as a crewmember on
STS-118. Morgan was selected in 1985 as the backup candidate for the
Teacher in Space program.
Following the Challenger accident, the program was suspended and
Morgan worked with NASA's Education Office. Morgan met with teachers
and students across the country to share her space-training
experiences and their relevance to the classroom and America¹s
future.
In 1986, Morgan returned to teaching at McCall-Donnelly Elementary
School in Idaho, but continued to travel the country in support of
NASA's education efforts. In 1998, she was selected by NASA to
complete her astronaut training.
Perez-Davis will be the first recipient of the Aerospace Awareness
Award. The award recognizes an individual's work to build public
awareness of aerospace programs and increase public understanding of
aerospace development and activities. Perez-Davis has also served as
a role model and mentor to students of diverse backgrounds and races,
from many nations.
She joined NASA in 1983 and serves as GRC Chief of the
Electrochemistry Branch. She manages the research and technology
workforce and efforts to carry out research and development,
component design, cell fabrication, tests, advanced system
conception, and preliminary evaluation related to electrochemical
energy conversion and storage.
Donnellan will receive WIA's Outstanding Achievement Award for her
accomplishments and contributions to aerospace science. She has
continually demonstrated to the public the value of space technology
for improving understanding of earthquake and volcanic hazards.
Donnellan is a geophysicist and serves as JPL Deputy Division Manager
of the Earth and Space Science Division; she also is a research
professor at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
News media interested in attending the event and arranging interviews
should contact NASA's Office of Public Affairs at: 202/358-1726.
For information about NASA on the Internet, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
For more information about Women in Aerospace, visit:
http://www.womeninaerospace.org
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